Wirfs Not A Starter — Yet
July 28th, 2020Just about everybody and their brother presumed Bucs rookie right tackle and first-round draft pick Tristan Wirfs would start right away.
Hold up, partner.
With such a wacky/non-football offseason, Arians said today in a Zoom conference call today he has no rookies starting for the Bucs.
At least not yet.
Arians was asked about the rookies and he admitted the newbies in this wild offseason will be swimming upstream.
“All the rookies lost 400 snaps in the spring,” Arians said. “We’re trying to catch up and [use] two fields of practice, in 90-100 minute practices. We will likely do a lot of two-field stuff like we [normally use in a regular session] of OTAs
“It is going to be very hard for [the rookies]. I don’t have anybody penciled in as starters until I see them play and not make mistakes.”
Is Wirfs a starter yet? No. Neither is Antoine Winfield nor Ke’Shawn Vaughn.
But who here believes, if healthy, Wirfs won’t be starting when the Bucs travel to the Superdome to open the season?
July 28th, 2020 at 3:21 pm
I really love when you cover press conferences and Q&A sessions! We always get a flurry of good stories from you!
July 28th, 2020 at 3:26 pm
He’ll start if for no other reason…who is he competing against?
July 28th, 2020 at 3:27 pm
Blogtalkfootball:
Thank you!
July 28th, 2020 at 3:53 pm
He is starting…..No doubt
July 28th, 2020 at 4:01 pm
He’s not a sure-fire starter based on his tape at Iowa!!!! He has all the tools in the world, but I’d imagine Joe Haeg or Brad Seaton even may very well begin the season ahead of him given the situation. Physically he is superior, of course, but mentally he needs some work. Watch his tape against Penn State. He struggled mightily with 2-man stunts consistently. Hopefully they can clear that up and his technique ASAP!
July 28th, 2020 at 4:09 pm
Yeah. Right. Because we have someone else to start at right tackle, lol.
July 28th, 2020 at 4:34 pm
Arain’s just making the kid feel like he earns the spot. There’s no preseason games, so there will be plenty of time to study, and practice. That’s why you draft guys who played the position in college. He’s our first round pick at a position of need. He’s either a stud, or a dud, average won’t cut it. If he doesn’t start, it’ll be because he’s a bust, which by the way I don’t think he is. Fingers crossed, he balls out.
July 28th, 2020 at 4:36 pm
I think if he isn’t starting, it will be to motivate him, and let him grow in the system. Until then, they will implement schemes to protect that side for Brady until Wirfs is ready to step in during the early part of the season.
July 28th, 2020 at 5:31 pm
No way he starts the first game with no preseason and an almost non-existent off-season.
July 28th, 2020 at 6:21 pm
He’ll start. But no coach in his right mind will give him that job before camp starts. It’s not like he’s the #1 overall pick QB guaranteed to lead the Bucs into winning ways and be a guy locals can be proud of for decades.
July 28th, 2020 at 6:33 pm
When OTA’s were cancelled I considered that Haeg might start before him. I suspect it won’t be for more than two games. And he will get reps in game one to be sure.
Remember the primary job of the line this year.
Keep Tom Standing!
July 28th, 2020 at 8:06 pm
gp…yeah. I hope Anthony Nelson telling him what NFL is like on the outside.
July 28th, 2020 at 10:42 pm
I too won’t be shocked if Haeg starts at right tackle against New Orleans.
I saw no consensus among the pre-draft analysts and pundits that Andrew Thomas, Jedrick Wills, Tristan Wirfs or Mekhi Becton were guaranteed starters on the first day of the season no matter who drafted them. The lack of rookie camp and OTAs has done nothing to enhance the expectation either.